MIDDLESBROUGH Football Club have already provided one notable first in the career of Idan Tal.

MIDDLESBROUGH Football Club have already provided one notable first in the career of Idan Tal.

The Teessiders' visit to Goodison Park last season yielded the Israeli winger's first goal in the English Premiership.

Now Tal is hoping that another visit to Goodison by the men from the North East can act as a springboard for his ambitions this season.

"I desperately want to be in the first team and I am working as hard as I can to make sure that that happens," he said.

"This has been my first full preseason in England and I can feel the benefit already.

"I feel like I have learned a lot from my experiences last season, too.

"The Premiership is very different from La Liga in Spain and the Israeli League where I had played previously.

"I understand the English game much more now. My greatest asset is my ability to go past people and my skill on the ball, but in order to be able to put that skill to use you have to learn to handle the physical side of the Premiership. I think I am doing that now.

"The game is much harder physically here and it is up to me to try to get the balance right in my own game.

"I may look small, but I feel strong, and hopefully I will get my chance again soon."

Tal is unlikely to start tomorrow, but he was also a substitute when he celebrated that first Goodison goal last January.

Since arriving from Maccabi Petah Tikva in October, Tal started just 12 games. But substitute appearances in a further 10 gave him more than a taste of the unique tests presented by the Premiership.

He also believes that that familiarity, both with English football and his new team-mates, can help Everton improve on last season's campaign.

"We do not believe the so-called experts who say we will be fighting relegation again," he explained. "I think we are certainly good enough to finish mid-table.

"Last season we had a lot of players trying to settle in at the same time, including myself.

"That can be difficult, but we have all had a year together now. The foreign players know the English game so much better, we all know each other's game more and as long as we don't have the same kind of injuries as last season we are confident we can do well."

Idan Tal just wants to be a part of that improvement.

"Where do you prefer to play, left or the right?" he was asked on closing.

"On the field," he replied with only a flicker of a smile.

"I play on the left or sometimes in the centre for the Israel national team, but for Everton I don't care where I play as long as I do."